Lam Thi Hai, 42, residing in Hai Duong ward, received a 15-year prison sentence from the Hai Phong City People's Court for property appropriation fraud.

Her accomplices – Vu Quy Cuong, Vu Dinh Thanh, Che Thi Xuan, Nguyen Thi Hoa, and Tran Manh Hung – received sentences from 5 years 6 months to 13 years 6 months. Nguyen Thi Hoa was given a 33-month suspended sentence.

Group of defendants committing fraud. Photo: Minh Nguyen

Group of defendants committing fraud. Photo: Minh Nguyen

The indictment detailed that from 12/2022 to 1/2024, in Hai Duong city and the former Bac Giang city, Hai and her co-conspirators disseminated false information. They claimed that CHK Company and Thanh Phong Tourist International Travel Co., Ltd. possessed licenses from the former Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, authorizing them to provide services for Vietnamese workers seeking overseas employment contracts.

This scheme allowed the group to misappropriate over 2,4 billion VND from 34 victims across various provinces and cities, including: Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, An Giang, and Ha Noi. Hai and Cuong were responsible for over 1,4 billion VND of the total, Thanh for 490 million VND, Xuan for 285 million VND, Hoa for 187 million VND, and Hung for 83,5 million VND.

The court deemed this a serious case, directly impacting public trust and financial well-being. Hai and Cuong were identified as the most active participants in the scheme.

Authorities urge citizens to exercise caution and verify the legal standing of labor export companies on official government information portals before engaging in any financial transactions, thereby avoiding "ghost" organizations.

Le Tan